Essentials of Ecology

by Michael Begon, Robert W. Howarth, Colin R. Townsend

Overview

Essentials of Ecology, 4th Edition presents introductory ecology in an accessible, state-of-the-art format designed to cultivate the novice student's understanding of and fascination with the natural world. In a concise, engaging style, this text outlines the essential principles of ecology from the theoretical fundamentals to their practical applications. Full color artwork, simple pedagogical features and a wide range of carefully-chosen examples make this book an ideal introduction to ecology for students at all levels.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780470909133
Publisher:	Wiley
Publication date:	08/18/2014
Edition description:	4th Revised ed.
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.80(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Colin R. Townsend is the Director of the Ecology, Conservation and Biodiversity Research Group at the University of Otago. He has published over 150 ecology papers and books, including the best-selling and award-winning Ecology, 4th Edition, with co-authors Michael Begon and John L. Harper. He is also co-editor of the international journal Freshwater Biology.

Michael Begon is Professor of Ecology in the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Liverpool. He has authored several books in addition to Ecology and around 150 research articles. His current research interests are focused on the population ecology of pathogens in wildlife populations.

Robert Howarth chairs the International SCOPE Biofuels Project, directs the Agriculture, Energy & the Environment Program (AEEP, formerly AEP) at Cornell University, and represents the State of New York on the science and technical advisory committee of the Chesapeake Bay Program. He is the Founding Editor of the journal "Biogeochemistry" (Editor-in-Chief from 1983 to 2004). He has worked extensively on environmental issues related to human-induced changes in the sulphur, nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon cycles, the impacts of global climate change, and interaction of energy systems and the environment.

Table of Contents

Part I Introduction

1 Ecology and how to do it

2 Ecology’s evolutionary backdrop

Part II Conditions and Resources

3 Physical conditions and the availability of resources

4 Climate and the world’s biomes

Part III Individuals and Populations, Communities and Ecosystems

5 Birth, death and movement

6 Interspecific competition

7 Predation, grazing and disease

8 Molecular and evolutionary ecology

Part IV Communities and Ecosystems

9 From populations to communities

10 Patterns in species richness

11 The flux of energy and matter through ecosystems

Part V Applied Issues in Ecology

12 Global biogeochemical cycles and their alteration by humans

13 Conservation ecology

14 The ecology of human population growth, disease, and food supply

Editorial Reviews

This is a more succinct treatment of the authors' longer (1996) designed for an introductory semester-long course. The first part addresses basic ecology<-->how to do it and think about it in terms of evolution. The second part examines resources and conditions that influence individual species and multispecies communities. Next, the text moves from the ecology of the individual to that of the species, then to multispecies communities, and finally to the exchange of matter and energy in whole ecosystems. The fourth and final section marks a turn toward practical matters: pest management and managing resources sustainably; human pollution, and suggested methods to save biodiversity and endangered species. Each chapter is followed by a summary and study questions, and the textbook is linked to a companion pedagogical website. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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